


Proper Posture

by canadino



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-29 23:27:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21418417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canadino/pseuds/canadino
Summary: Ideal sleeping postures and the right way to do things.
Relationships: Chigasaki Itaru/Settsu Banri
Comments: 3
Kudos: 97





	Proper Posture

Banri woke with a cramp in his neck. It was becoming more of a common occurrence as of late, as the bean-filled orange pillow didn’t offer much support. Still, it was more comfortable than the Dr*gon Qu*st slime pillow with its rough, patch eyes and less angular than one of the arms of Itaru’s couch. Rubbing along the top of his nape, he tried to stretch both left and right to loosen the kink. Itaru was still sitting at his desk, like Banri had remembered before he closed his eyes, although his headphones were half on and he was looking at his phone rather than his monitor. 

“The raid’s over?” Banri asked, a yawn interrupting him and splitting his mouth open wide. Itaru barely looked up in response. 

“Sudden maintenance. Could be back up any minute.” Banri could hear the faint sounds of battle at Itaru’s fingertips. It was early Sunday morning when he checked his phone, proper time for people like Tasuku to hit the pavement for his first run of the day. Banri put his head back on the orange pillow, the brief readjustment a temporary reprieve for his neck. He would feel off all day, most likely; Juuza would probably make an off-hand comment about it during practice later. He was checking the new summoning banner on one of his gacha games when the clamour of Itaru throwing his phone on his desk and scrambling for the keyboard broke the silence; this was something he was also now used to that he didn’t look up at the commotion. It wasn’t until Itaru started making hissing sounds through his teeth that he sat up. “Come here. Backup.” 

Itaru’s system had three monitors, though he used one primarily for work whenever he had to bring anything home. It was unofficially Banri’s monitor when he brought his laptop over from his room, set up to Banri’s preferences. Itaru had also bought a new chair recently, keeping his old chair in the corner for Banri whenever they played in his room. It had since been adjusted for Banri’s height and posture. “What’s my cut of the reward this time?”

“I’ll think about it when we get it,” Itaru mumbled, bringing a hand up absent-mindedly to push a stray hair out of his eyes. Banri reached over and sloppily pushed a clip to catch the rest of the baby hairs. “Thanks.” Now fully logged in, Banri picked up his controller. It was still slightly warm from before. 

“My, my,” Azuma hummed, walking into the kitchen for water from the specialty filtered pitcher he shared with Homare. “It does do the heart good to see men in the peak of their youth bonding over shared interests.” They had come into the kitchen to heat up food, having missed lunch call, and were in the middle of debating one of the strategies printed in the newest issue of one of Banri’s magazines. Azuma, for his dewy skin and timeless choices in clothes, could say some old-man things sometimes. Though they had greeted him, Azuma continued looking at them as he sipped from his glass. “Although, I must say - you two are looking quite worse for the wear. Itaru, the bags under your eyes won’t do when you go into the office next, and Banri, your posture suggests you’re sore all over. How long was the last game session?”

Banri looked at Itaru, who blinked dolefully back. “It wasn’t that long,” Banri said, used to being questioned about his decisions as a teenager. “And I got some rest; Itaru’s couch is pretty comfortable.”

“Ah, certainly, I have no doubt; but not for prolonged time. You must sleep on a bed to get the best, regenerative sleep.”

Banri rolled his eyes. “Hyodo hates when I come back to the room late. He says I stomp and crash whenever I come in and it wakes him up. What a diva. I’m not that loud, in any case.” 

Azuma chuckled in his usual soft, knowing way. “Well, in any case, you two look like you could use a soothing sleep session soon. I’m very good at helping people fall asleep. If you’d like, you could both come to my room tonight...I’m very good with my hands. Banri, you can attest.”

Itaru looked a bit put out. “It wasn’t...that bad,” Banri said slowly. It had felt ridiculous at the time, two bulky teenagers lying awkwardly on a bed with sheets that definitely felt more expensive than any they had lain on before, but Azuma had sat between him and Juuza, stroking their hair and soothing the wrinkles on their brows. When he started awake the next morning, Juuza matching him with an equally baffled look, he had felt more alert than he had been in a while. It had been so significant that he and Juuza actually forgot to throw barbs at each other for the rest of the day. Itaru frowned. Azuma had a way with words, certainly, carefully saying exactly the things his captive audience wanted to hear. The thought of him between them, Itaru wearing one of his brightly colored jackets, Azuma running his fingers down Itaru’s cheek and along his jaw, thumbing over Itaru’s thin bottom lip - “Well, maybe. I don’t know how it would go with us together.”

Azuma smiled over the rim of his glass. “The offer stands. My door is open to anyone in the dorm...one only needs to desire it.” Sliding easily away like an alluring scent, Azuma left them to now cooled food. Itaru sighed and put it back in the microwave. 

Later, as Itaru shoveled noodles in his mouth while browsing the message boards online to see reactions to the now-completed campaign, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and turned to Banri. “You went to Azuma’s room for a cuddle session?” 

“H-hey! It wasn’t just me, Hyodo was there too.” 

“Oh ho.” Banri opened his mouth to protest louder but Itaru’s mouth was curved up in a wane smile. He was teasing him. Closing his mouth again, Banri frowned. “But I’m hurt. I suppose you and Juuza are roommates, so you’re used to being around each other, but you don’t want to lie down next to me? I guess you’re on your own the next time you need someone for a two-player. I guess all those hours spent together meant nothing to you.”

“Don’t make fun of me. You want to sleep in Azuma’s bed?” 

Itaru stretched, a full body effort that pulled his shirt up over his waistband to expose his stomach. An office-worker by day and a holed up game by night, Itaru’s skin was fair to rival Azuma’s, without the effort put in to keep it in baby pristine condition. Banri looked up to meet Itaru’s eyes again once the back-cracking, toe-curling stretch compressed back together. “Not really.” He chewed a piece of carrot thoughtfully. “But he’s got a point. Not that I’m trying to kick you out of my room, but when you’re tired...you can go back to your bed. You won’t offend me if you leave before I kick you out.” 

“Who’s going to tell you how to play, when your strategy blows compared to mine?” Puffing out his chest as Itaru furrowed his brows, Banri glanced around the room. “Your bed’s right there, isn’t it?” Fully expecting Itaru to scoff and dismiss him or mock him for speaking like an entitled brat, Banri hesitated when Itaru merely looked at him at the suggestion. Squirming, he prepared to call his own bluff, but Itaru shrugged.

“Alright. Go ahead. Sleep in my bed if you dare. I won’t be as nice as Azuma, though.” The mischievous, out-of-reach smile was back. Banri promised himself that at the next opportunity, he was going to sprawl out on Itaru’s bed and force the man to experience the discomfort of the couch. 

That opportunity came days later, late Friday night when the new game Itaru ordered came in and Banri came to watch him play to see if he wanted to buy a copy of his own (Itaru would sooner part with his right arm than part with one of his games, regardless of whether he had completed it). After a while, getting spoiled on the plot seemed less appealing of a tradeoff to seeing the great mechanics, so he played with one of Itaru’s handheld consoles, on a game he had needled Itaru to save a save slot for him. Reclining on the couch made his body idle, inviting drowsiness; remembering his promise and Itaru’s more-or-less blessing, he wandered over to the bed and tossed himself stomach first on the mattress. Itaru did not seem to notice. The pillow smelled faintly like shampoo and aftershave; Banri had spent enough time in Itaru’s room that the man’s scent barely registered anymore, but the bed definitely smelled like Itaru. Pulling one of the throws tossed haphazardly at the foot of the bed - slipping under Itaru’s comforter directly felt too strangely intimate - Banri settled down. A nap would show Itaru not to make fickle promises to high schoolers; then, he’d retire back to his own room, Juuza grumbling under his breath the whole time. 

Except - when he woke again, there was light coming through the edges of the blackout curtains that Itaru had installed. There was a lump next to him, and upon closer inspection, it was Itaru wrapped tightly in his comforter and sheets like a giant cocoon. His bed head was wild, sticking in all sorts of directions. Maybe Yuki had a point calling him a fraud, for the moment Itaru walked out of his room he was as put together and polished as just any other self-respecting adult. The others had seen gamer Itaru, of course, but this was something rarer.

As if feeling Banri’s stare, Itaru began to stir, blinking himself awake. “Good morning,” he murmured, wiggling to settle even deeper into his wrappings. 

“Can I kiss you?” Banri asked. 

Itaru opened his eyes again. In the dark, it was hard to get a good read of his face. “I guess.”

Banri pressed a fast kiss to his mouth, a kiss that would probably make Muku squeal. It made Itaru laugh, though it sounded more of a reaction than from amusement. “So that’s why you wanted to sleep in my bed.”

“Well...no...but…” 

“Why don’t you graduate first? Bold of you to think you could woo an adult like that.” Itaru rolled onto his back, zipping his eyes closed again. “Good night, Settsu.”

“Do you want me to go?”

“Do whatever you want.”

His neck didn’t hurt and his joints weren’t aching. Folding himself into the depths of the throw, he laid still like a mummy side-by-side. Later, he’d leave and probably not return to Itaru’s room until he was summoned again. He would think deeply about his actions and say as much, though it wouldn’t change that he probably didn’t regret it. It wasn’t too bad, Banri thought as he closed his eyes too, to play things a little harder.

**Author's Note:**

> My eyes BUGGED out reading Azuma's "The Trickster of Winter Troupe" backstage story...boi when I say I screamed...
> 
> I'm in gacha boy hell and this isn't even my absolute unit ship. However, gamership is mint as the zoomers say.


End file.
